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Coleman interested in Barrow AFC job

EX-ACCRINGTON boss John Coleman is mulling over whether to approach Barrow AFC to sound them out over their vacant manager’s job.

EXPERIENCED John Coleman

The Liverpudlian, who guided Accrington to three promotions and into the Football League, has been hunting a new challenge since being sacked by Rochdale last January.

Coleman may not formally apply for the AFC position before tomorrow’s deadline for applications expires, but it seems likely that he will at least make contact with the club.

“I haven’t applied yet,” said Coleman.

“I might possibly have a chat with someone up there, but I’ll have to see what happens or what pans out on what their thoughts are.”

He added: “To be honest I’m out of work so I have to be interested in anything, and that’s not being disrespectful to Barrow – that’s just a fact.

“I have applied for a couple of jobs and, unfortunately, I haven’t made the interview stage on a couple of them. I’ve spoken to a couple of other people and the jobs weren’t right for me. But I have to be interested in anything.”

After beginning his managerial career with Ashton United, the 51-year-old then spent 12-and-a-half years as Accrington boss, masterminding their journey from the Northern Premier League First Division (now the Evo-Stick League) to League Two by the end of the 2005/06 campaign.

Despite operating on a shoestring budget, Coleman later led Stanley to a League Two play-off campaign. He eventually joined League One side Rochdale in January 2012, but his reign at Spotland lasted just 12 months as he paid the price for a poor run of results after the club had tumbled into the basement division.

If Coleman does approach AFC and comes across a responsive board of directors, he is likely to try and gauge whether the club’s long-term ambitions match his own.

Commenting on the appeal of managing AFC, Coleman said: “Barrow is an ex-league club isn’t it, that’s what you’ve got to remember. So if you can get in the league once, you can get in it again, as we proved at Accrington.

“So, from that point of view, it’s a potential league club. Now, how serious the club are about being a league club, that remains to be seen.”

And commenting on the attraction of working in the Conference North, he added: “You’d have to consider it.

“You’ve got to remember that there are some big clubs in that league. Just to name three, there are Telford, Barrow and Stockport – all three were playing at a high level at some point in the last 10 years. There are big clubs in non-league. I’ve proved what can be done before – I took a club lower than Barrow into the Football League.”

Coleman is currently working as a scout for Bolton Wanderers having also recently coached at AFC Liverpool for a short period as a favour for his friend.

Coleman was previously England’s third-longest serving boss – trailing only Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson. And asked if he is desperate to resume his managerial career, Coleman responded: “I am, it’s been 10 months (since he last held a manager’s job). I’ve only been involved with full-time football for the last 10 years, but football has been my life for as long as I can remember.

“You keep hitting little milestones – this year was the first time I haven’t been involved with the FA Cup for 30 years, it’s not nice.

“And it’s the first time I haven’t done a pre-season for 35 years.

“It’s frustrating really. But I’ve worked hard to get to a certain level in football and I’m going to try my best to stay in football – that could be at any level.”

Have your say

Come on board members, BE BRAVE and appoint Coleman if you've any ambition at all. What this man did at Accrington on a shoestring was nothing short of amazing. It's time to show the fans that the board has guts. Come on, don't be losers, appoint this guy.

Posted by Mike on
18 November 2013 at 17:35

We wont get him becouse the board will want someone cheaper so can`t see him coming here